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State of the Week

Each Friday—well at least most Fridays—I'm going to sum up the big news happening in states around the country. To make it more interesting, I'm naming a State of the Week where the biggest news came from. See something that's missing? Tell me: arapoport@prospect.org or on Twitter @RaRapoport.

Moving at lightning speed, Indiana's "right to work" legislation passed through the state House Saturday and was law by Wednesday night. The law, which prevents mandatory union membership and prohibits unions from collecting dues from non-members, has a crippling effect on organized labor, and Indiana is the first state in the Rust Belt to pass the measure. While the Hoosier State was not a union stronghold like Ohio or Michigan, it nonetheless has been a part of the country's labor base, and the new law marks a major turning point in labor relations.

Indiana Republicans in both the state House and Senate—as well as Governor Mitch Daniels—were all eager to have everything tied up before this weekend's Super Bowl. Some pro-union advocates hoped to use the game—which is taking place in Indianapolis—to highlight the battle by striking or slowing down some of the game's auxiliary festivities. But the AFL-CIO has already promised it will not cause hold-ups on the big day.

In a rather candid moment, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie described the bills the Democratic Legislature sent to his desk during a lame-duck session as "a pile of crap." Shockingly, Democrats disagreed with the characterization.